Fixture assembly



B. J. RUSKIN FIXTURE ASSEMBLY March 31, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 25. 1956 171 7292 7012 Benwdfimm M Q45? B." J. RUSKlN FIXTUREASSEMBLY March 31, 1959 Filed April 23. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UnitedStates Patent FIXTURE ASSEMBLY Bernard J. Ruskin, Lynn, Mass.

Application April 23, 1956, Serial No. 580,128

Claims. (Cl. 174-67) The present invention relates to electricalfixtures and, more particularly, to electrical fixture assemblies of thetype comprising a wall plate presenting electrical outlets for lampplugs or the like and a detachable cover, ornamental in appearance,associated with the plate for preventing shock as a result of tamperingby children and preventing removal of the plugs inadvertently.

The object of the present invention is to provide an electrical fixtureof the foregoing type comprising a generally rigid plate and an at leastpartially flexible cover, each integrally constructed for maximumdurability and minimum cost, which may be secured together positively bynovel interlocking elements relying on the flexibility of the cover butrequiring more than mere pressure on the cover for their detachability.

. Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appearhereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the product possessing the features,properties and relation of components which are exemplified in thefollowing detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of whichwill be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fixture embodying the presentinvention, with its cover and plate detached;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a fixture embodying the present invention,with its cover and plate assembled for use;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the assembled fixture of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the assembled fixture of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the plate of the fixture of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a partially sectional view of the plate, taken substantiallyalong the line 66 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the assembled plate and the cover,illustrating the operation of a pair of their interlocking elements.

Generally, the illustrated fixture comprises a wall plate 10 having apair of openings 12, 14 through which electrical outlets (not shown) aredesigned to project, and a detachable cover 16 which, when secured tothe plate, provides an ornamental appearance and prevents removal oflamp plugs, appliance plugs, etc. from the outlets. The plate, which isgenerally rigid, and the cover, at least portions of which areresilient, may be composed, for example, of similar or dissimilarpolymeric or metallic materials. As shown, the plate is composed of arigid polymer, such as polystyrene, and the cover is composed of aresilient polymer, for example, an acetate such as vinyl acetate orcellulose acetate.

Wall plate 10 is shown as an integrally fiat face 18 having the outletopenings referred to above. In order to assure rigidity of the plate,the rearward surface of 2,880,264 Patented Mar. 31, 1959 face 18 isprovided with a pair of longitudinal ribs 20, 22 on opposite sides ofoutlet openings 12, 14 and a transverse rib 24 between the outletopenings. The edges of face 18 are rearwardly turned, as at 26, in orderto snugly abut against a wall or molding to which it is attached. Anopening 28 in transverse rib 24 is provided for the reception of a screwwhich ordinarily secures the plate to an outlet housing which isembedded in the wall or molding. A pair of curved bosses 30, 32 projectforwardly from face 18, their inner edges being convex with respect toeach other for a purpose to be described below. The opposite ends ofplate 10 are provided with elements that interlock with associatedelements on cover 16. Projecting forwardly from face 18 at one end ofplate 10 is a rib 34 having oppositely directed stub shafts 36, 38. Atthe other end of face 18 is an elongated slot 40, the edges of whichserve as abutments for a purpose to be described below. The operation ofshafts 36, 38 and slot 40 will be discussed in detail below.

Cover 16 is generally in the form of an open bottom box, having freeedges of special design. The longitudinal edges 42 and 44 and onetransverse edge 46 are generally coplanar. The other transverse edge 48is indented in order to provide a recess 50 for the reception of rib 34.The extremities of longitudinal edges 42 and 44 at recess 50 are roundedat 52, 54 and apertured at 56, 58 so that apertures 56, 58 may besecurely snapped onto shafts 36, 38 for hinging the cover to the plate.Longitudinal edges 42 and 44 are provided with notches 60, 62 thatfurnish egresses for cords extending from the plugs. Bosses 30 and 32shield the prongs of the plugs from metal objects inserted through thenotches and cooperate with the notches to bend the cord into a crimpedform which relieves strain on the plug and socket connection.

Cooperating with slot 40 of plate 10 is a hook-like element dependingfrom transverse edge 46. This hook includes a shank portion 64, anextension portion 66 generally at right angles to shank portion 64 and acontinuation portion 68 generally at right angles to both shank portion64 and extension portion 66. When slot 40 and the hook-like element aremated, an edge of shank portion 64 abuts against an end of slot 40 theouter face of shank portion 64 abuts against the outer longitudinal edgeof slot 40 and extension and continuation portions 66 and 68 bearagainst the rearward side of face 18. It will be observed that thedistance between the remote free extremities of extension 66 andcontinuation 68 is approximately equal to the length of slot 40 and thatthe distance between the remote edges of shank 64 and extension 66together with continuation 68 is approximately equal to the width ofslot 40. As shown in Fig. 7, it is necessary to manually press againstthe face of cover 16 carrying the hook-like element in first directionopposite to the direction in which extension 66 projects and a seconddirection opposite to the direction in which continuation 68 projects,in order to disengage the hook element from the slot. Although thisprocedure is readily carried out, it is just intricate enough to preventits occurrence as a result of inadvertence or tampering by children.

Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention herein involved, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description and shown inthe accompanying drawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative andnot in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A fixture comprising a generally rigid plate providing at least anopening for at least an electrical outlet, and an at least partiallyflexible cover, one end of said cover being pivoted to one end of saidplate, the other end of said cover being provided with a hook-likeelement comprising a shank portion, an extension portion projecting fromsaid shank portion, and a continuation portion extending from saidextension portion, said shank portion and said extension portionprojecting generally at right angles to each other in cross-section,said continuation portion projecting generally at right angles to theplane of said cross-section, the other end of said plate providingabutments, said hook like element being engaged with said abutments whensaid other end of said cover is undeformed and in juxtaposition with theassociated portion of said plate, said hook being disengaged from saidabutments when said other end of said cover is deformed although injuxtaposition with said associated portion of said plate, thedeformation being in a direction toward said one end of said cover andopposite to the direction in which said continuation portion projects.

2. A fixture comprising a generally rigid plate providing at least anopening for at least an electrical outlet, and an at least partiallyflexible cover, one end of said cover being pivoted to one end of saidplate, the other end of said cover being provided with a hook-likeelement comprising a shank portion, an extension portion projecting fromsaid shank portion, and a continuation portion extending from saidextension portion, said shank portion and said extension portionprojecting generally at right angles to each other in cross section,said continuation portion projecting generally at right angles to theplane of said cross section, the other end of said plate being providedwith a slot, said hook being insertable in and removable from said slot,when said other end of said cover is deformed in a direction toward saidone end of said cover and opposite to the direction in which saidcontinuation portion projects.

3. The fixture of claim 2 wherein the distance between the remote freeextremities of said extension portion and said continuation portion isapproximately equal to the length of said slot and the distance betweenthe remote edges of said shank portion and said continuation portion isapproximately equal to the width of said slot.

4. A fixture comprising a first component including a generally rigidplate providing an opening for at least an electrical outlet, and asecond component including an at least partially flexible cover, one endof one component being pivoted to one end of the other component, theother end of said other component being provided with a hook-likeelement comprising a shank portion, an extension portion projecting fromsaid shank portion, and a continuation portion projecting from saidextension portion, said shank portion and said extension portionprojecting generally at right angles to each other in cross section,said continuation portion projecting generally at right angles to theplane of said cross-section, the other end of said one component beingprovided with a slot, said hook being insertable in and removable fromsaid slot, by virtue of the at least partial flexibility of said cover.

5. A fixture assembly comprising a plate composed of a relatively rigidmaterial, said plate providing a pair of openings for a pair ofelectrical outlets, and a cover composed of a relatively resilientmaterial, said plate and said cover being provided with cooperatingpivot components at one end of said fixture, one of said pivotcomponents being integrally provided with a pair of opposed stub shafts,the other of said pivot components including portions provided with apair of openings, said portions being resiliently separable for thereception of said stub shafts, said plate and said cover being providedwith cooperating locking components at the other end of said fixture,one of said locking components presenting a slot, the other of saidlocking components including a hook like element having a shank portion,an extension portion projecting from said shank portion, and acontinuation portion extending from said extension portion, said shankportion and said extension portion projecting generally at right anglesto each other in cross-section, said continuation portion projectinggenerally at right angles to the plane of said cross section, saidhook-like element being insertable into and removable from said slotwhen said other end of said cover is deformed in a direction toward saidone end of said cover and opposite to the direction in which saidcontinuation portion projects, the distance between the remote freelongitudinal extremities of said extension portion and said continuationportion being approximately equal to the length of said slot, thedistance between the remote longitudinal edges of said shank portion andsaid continuation portion being approximately equal to the width of saidslot.

